GRE 262 - Defending Socrates

Socrates, citizen of Athens and one of the most celebrated thinkers in history, was sentenced to death by the democratic government under which he lived. We will not only consider why this happened, but also grapple with the impossible “Socratic Problem,” trying to gain a coherent sense of who Socrates really was. We will read in Greek excerpts from Aristophanes’ Clouds, the comedy that may well have played a role in his execution, and some strikingly different posthumous attempts (by Plato and Xenophon) to rehabilitate Socrates’ reputation. Other more minor evidence for Socrates’ life - some fragmentary - will be read in Greek or English.

Satisfies Classical Languagegs and Liturate major requirement.
Satisfies Greek minor requirement.
Satisfies Global Literary Theory minor requirement.
Satisfies Literary Studies, Creative Writing and Rhetoric.

 

Prerequisites & Notes
GRE 201 or placement test. Students who have taken a GRE course beyond 201 should enroll in this course as GRE 362. (Fall 2020)